Till we meet again
by Xellos no Miko
Summary: Momo is now in college on the other side of the world to evade the memories of her old home that haunted her day and night. Did she leave any loose ends behind? Like a dark haired youth for instance?
1. reliving the past

till we meet again

this story is written after book 4 and knowing very little about the rest of the series. as people have described it seems as if in book 5 momo is raped on her birthday. using that as part of my plot line I am not sure if I have altered the true story in anyway. 

I figure that momo is still her sarcastic self, but due to incidents that she couldn't have controlled her personality was slightly altered. as this is a fanfic, none of this is true to the real manga that has already been written so this is all from my imagination and is to be taken as such. ^^ well then, on with the show. 

scene: momo's dorm room on a cold night in the usa. 

time: momo is a freshman in college

rating: this story is rated PG-13 for situations that are alluded to that take place in the manga.  

chapter one – reliving the past

            Momo stared at the wall blankly. It was late and there were people still in her dorm room. If they made any more noise she might actually be able to hear them on the first floor. From inside. Inside the bathroom. In a stall no less. 

            She growled, tangling strands of her golden hair in her slender fingers. "People! OUT!" 

            For a moment everything went silent and they turned their drunken stares to the girl that sat at her desk in the corner. Momo's roommate Hikaru wandered over then, her eyes just started to glaze over in a drunken stupor. 

            "Wha's da madder?" 

            Momo blinked, "It's 'what's the matter' and I've got tests tomorrow. In fact most of you do since we're in the same basic classes."

            "And?" 

            "And!?" Momo exclaimed, face starting to flush from irritation, "And I want this party to stop! Everyone get out of my room and party somewhere else!" 

            Still staring at her they one-by-one gathered their things and left. Including her roommate who said "We'll find anodder place ta parhay." on her way out the door. 

            Momo sighed in relief. She had hoped that once she was out of High School things would get better. But, sadly, as she seemed to be, she was once again wrong. It wasn't that she was the object of everyones rumors or next practical joke it was that her roommate, and college in general, made her life a living hell. She still had no idea what she wanted to be and with the way things were looking she didn't have many choices. 

            One of the few was becoming what people lovingly called her. A Beach Bunny. Unfortunately she hadn't grown out of her naturally tanned skin. After years of trying to become light like the rest of normal society she realized that she was naturally darker than most females and learned to live with her skin color. 

            She chuckled, recalling that one dark haired youth was glad that she finally understood that. That being different was all right. Being unique was okay. After that, she didn't bother staying out of the sun, she didn't wear SPF 80 and she didn't try to hide from the world any more. 

            Ah, yes. That one dark haired, brown hazel eyed teen that she so lovingly dubbed: Pumpkin. He loved her no matter how she looked. At least, that's what he said. In the end Kiley turned out to be a wonderful friend, one that she could depend on for anything she needed, but it never went farther than that. Something that she knew Kiley was upset about. 

            She didn't date Toji for long either. After the incident in the hotel during her 10th year in school Toji couldn't date her. He transferred schools for the next year. She never quite found out why Toji broke off their relationship, and she never asked, too ashamed to bring the situation up. 

            Nurse Miaso was helpful as always, and her parents were very supportive. Kiley stuck up for her when Sae, the school witch, spread rumors about her lack of innocence. Toji, once Momo's knight in shining armor, pulled himself from the trio and found a new group to hang out with. She regretted falling for Sae's trap, but when she got the phone call she figured that she should at least hear the girl out. But, her birthday turned out to be a horrific event that was shoved into the furthest reaches of her mind. 

            That man, Jigoro, apologized after coming to Momo's graduation. He didn't want to go out of country without saying so, finally, sincerely. 

            She remembered crying then. Crying for everything she had lost and for her hatred toward Sae and the man that had raped her. After that the rest of the evening passed as a blur even though she was surrounded by people that cared about her, whether they knew what terrible thing happened to her or not. 

            Her summer had passed by slowly. She got a phone call from her friend Macha across town whom wished her luck in the future and said that Toji would be calling her soon. 

            Momo frowned at the memory, leaning back in her swivel chair. Toji. True to Machas' word, Toji called less than three days later, trying to catch up on old times. If she tried hard enough she could recall the conversation. It wasn't hard really, it was one that she would remember even if she lost her memory to amnesia. 

            "Can I please speak to Momo?" 

            "This is she." She paused, waiting for the caller to identify himself. Though she knew already who it was and her heart beat furiously in her chest. 

            "Momo, this is Toji. Tojigamori Kazuya." 

            "I know. I'm not stupid." 

            There was a brief pause on his end, "How are you doing?" 

            "Alright. Yourself?" 

            "Fine. You know," he began slowly, hunting for the right words, "I've been thinking about you a lot lately." 

            "Why?" she asked quickly, fury replacing the nervous butterflies that made her heart race. 

            "Because I miss you." 

            "Well, you shouldn't." she spat, trying desperately to hold back the anguish that threatened to come out. 

            "Come on Momo. Don't be like that." 

            "Why shoudn't I be?" she halted, taking in a deep breath to stop the trembling in her voice, "I have no reason to be civil to you. You whom I trusted and loved with all my heart."

            "For those reasons I think you can put aside your anger an-"

            "Put aside my anger!? And do that how exactly. You left me when I needed you most!" her wall, the wall she built after her rape, came crashing down. The rivers over emotions opened and tears plinked to the floor as they cascaded down her tormented face, "You have no idea what I went through and the one person I thought truly loved me in return cast me aside like the used… used… thing-" she said, the venom of the word coating her mouth with a foul taste, "he made me! I HATE you Tojigamori! I-I… ha… I hate you!" her words crumbled away into noisy sobs as she collapsed on the floor.

            When her parents found her sleeping, her energy spent from her emotions, the phone was still on but it was ringing a dial tone. No voice at the other end could be heard. 

            Momo wiped away a stray tear, the memory hitting a sore spot in her heart and shifted in her chair, propping her legs up on the desk. 

            After the phone call to Toji she never returned phone calls, no meeting people when they came over to find out if she still lived. She just packed up her things and left for college. She went to the point of attending a small college in the United States just to avoid the chances of running into someone she once knew. 

            It was lonely, living on the other side of the world. But not as lonely as if she still lived in her hometown. Having to live each day knowing what once when on during a High School life that seemed so long ago. 


	2. haunted like ghosts in the night

till we meet again

this story is written after book 4 and knowing very little about the rest of the series. as people have described it seems as if in book 5 momo is raped on her birthday. using that as part of my plot line I am not sure if I have altered the true story in anyway. 

I figure that momo is still her sarcastic self, but due to incidents that she couldn't have controlled her personality was slightly altered. as this is a fanfic, none of this is true to the real manga that has already been written so this is all from my imagination and is to be taken as such. ^^ well then, on with the show. 

scene: the next day after classes 

time: momo is a freshman in college

rating: this story is rated PG-13 for situations that are alluded to that take place in the manga. 

chapter two – haunting me like ghosts in the night

            Momo was at a loss. She knew in her heart that she failed her Literature test and it had nothing to do with the party that had taken place in her dorm the night before. It was the fact that once they all left, her mind had wandered to the point that she was emotionally and mentally exhausted, sleep was the only option. 

            So, in conclusion, she failed her Lit test. She sighed. Failing was not something she handled well. For as long as she could remember she never failed. She graduated the top in her class, the brightest student to face the real world. But she took the alleyway, the dark corners and hid from society. That was one reason why she attended a school in the United States instead of Japan. She couldn't have the skeletons in her closet haunt her any longer. It wasn't just the 'incident' that stalked her, it was the people that she knew. That stared at her like they expected that from her all along. 

            The only one that stuck by her was Kiley. Perhaps he was too shallow minded to realize that she was not someone that he should have risked his reputation over. She bit on the end of her pencil, she hadn't heard from him in a long time. She knew that he was one of the few people that stopped by her house when she stopped talking to everyone. 

            Out of the four people, Kiley, Macha, Kako and Toji, she hadn't expected the fifth that stopped by the day before she left for the United States. Sae stopped over late in the day and didn't get one foot into the house. From where Momo stood at the top of the stairs she could hear every word. 

            And for once Sae didn't sound like she was lying. Where Sae was usually boisterous and oily, she was subdued and hurt. At some point during her talk with Momo's mom she began to cry and apologized profusely, wishing that she wasn't the person she was and that she would do anything to let Momo know how sorry she was. 

            Momo dropped the pencil to the grass knowing that she should have listened to the girl and not blown her off that day. Refusing to answer the phone, Momo made her mother picked it up before taking her to the airport. It was Kiley, according to her mom, and he wanted to let her know two things. One: that he would miss her like the flowers missed the rain, and Two: that Kashiwagi Sae would never bother her again. 

Sae was dead. 

Tears welled up in Momo's eyes misting her vision as she gazed across the campus. That was another day that she would always remember. The one day that she thought would be happy, happy because she was leave her terrible life behind, was marred of Sae's death. Sae's last bit of nastiness. After talking to Sae's mother, Kiley had found out that she became suicidal sometime after Momo stopped hanging around with her. Out of her own depression and feeling that she could go no further, the dark haired nymph jumped to her death from the top of the school. 

Momo shook her head, she wished she would have talked to Sae on the phone. It took her a few months after the girl's death to understand the person once called Sae. Her mother sent her Sae's journals and things became very clear, very fast. If only she knew now what she knew then. But as her mother said, hindsight is 20/20. 

Picking her books off the grass she stuffed them in her bag and draped that over her shoulder, preparing the trek back to her room. It was a lovely day; clouds hung over the school like cotton, dark and thick they threatened rain while the sun tried vainly to peek out from behind one of the billows. It was fall so the leaves on the trees were turning their vibrant rusty hues, slowly releasing their foliage to drift to the leaf-littered earth below. Momo crunched the leaves as she ambled her way across the campus to her dorm that lay half hidden in the woods, what ones she didn't step on darted out of her way with the help of a slight chilly breeze. 

Hugging her large jacket closer to her body she tilted her head down as she slowly walked to her dorm. Upon entering some twenty minutes later, she wished that she hadn't. It was more noisy in her dorm than outside. Even sitting next to the road with all the cars wasn't as bad as this. Shoving her way through the small common room she pushed the door open to the stairwell and began her climb to the fifth floor. Just when she thought it couldn't get any louder she thought wrong. Her floor was full of party-goers that were either so drunk they passed out, or people that were tipsy. There weren't many like Momo that didn't drink on her floor. She wished a Floor Monitor walked by, but whenever they did all the teens were sober. She shook her head walking down her hall to room 599. 

"Hey, Momo!" 

Momo paused, looking over her shoulder with a smile. One of the Sobers, as Momo liked to call them, waved from her doorway, "Hi Felicity."

Felicity was American, born somewhere on the East Coast she took Japanese as her major so neither had to bother with broken languages. Red hair indicating that she was Irish was cut short to her shoulders and pulled back in the usual half pony tail. Small oval glasses partially covered her bright jade eyes that stared at Momo. "How did your Lit test go?"

"Bad, I think I failed it." the blonde replied sullenly. 

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Felicity stepped out into the hall and wandered over to Momo, making sure to step over the drunks that littered the floor, "Hey, what are you up to tomorrow? A few of us Sobers are going out to dinner and we wanted to know if you wanted to come." 

"I don't think I'm busy. I think that's my night off of work."

Felicity smiled, replying in nearly perfect Japanese, "Alright. Well, stop by when you know for sure. I'll give you details then."

Momo hadn't known it but they walked down to her room. It wasn't that she was far from Felicity, it was that she hadn't realized that they had begun walking again. Sticking her key in the door she smiled at the red head, opening her door, "Sure thing. I'll call tonight and let you know first thing tomorrow."

"Okay, have a good night."

Once inside she leaned against the door as she closed it, "You too. Bye." And shut it. She chuckled inanely and turned into her room, a scream catching in her throat. 

Someone was sitting in her room. She could see their outline, but it being so dark she could make out nothing else. Flipping the light switch her face crumpled, hands going to her mouth in utter shock. "No, you're not supposed to be here." 

"Konnichiwa, Adachi Momo-chan."


	3. come for you

till we meet again

this story is written after book 4 and knowing very little about the rest of the series. as people have described it seems as if in book 5 momo is raped on her birthday. using that as part of my plot line I am not sure if I have altered the true story in anyway. 

I figure that momo is still her sarcastic self, but due to incidents that she couldn't have controlled her personality was slightly altered. as this is a fanfic, none of this is true to the real manga that has already been written so this is all from my imagination and is to be taken as such. ^^ well then, on with the show. 

scene: the next day after classes and the next evening.

time: momo is a freshman in college

rating: this story is rated PG-13 for situations that are alluded to that take place in the manga. 

chapter three – come for you

Momo stared shocked at the person that sat in her swivel chair. Short black hair framing a pale face, impeccable fashion sense and round brown eyes, Momo couldn't believe who she was looking at. 

"…Sae?"

Sae wiggled her fingers in a childlike wave, "Didn't think you'd see me again, did you?"

Momo refused to answer for a moment. Sae tilted her head, waiting for the blonde to reply. "You're… you're… well, you're supposed…"

"I'm supposed to be dead? Momo, sweetie, I am dead."

"Then…"

"I'm allowed to come and talk to people once in a while. We're not slaves in Hell, you know."

Momo arched a brow, backing herself into the door, "Hell-?"

Sae laughed, "Only kidding. I can't tell you where I am. It's against the rules. I'm not one to go against the rules now." She frowned, "Momo- I… I'm very sorry. There wasn't a day that I didn't regret what I had done. Not a moment in my after life that I didn't wish I could take it all back. You were always so sure of yourself. So tough, but loved. You forgave everyone without a second thought all the time and I wished with all my soul I could be like you. But I never could. I tried to run from my life and all the things that happened to me, but they kept on catching up to me and I wanted to hurt the one person that reminded me of me when I was younger. I used to be like you before I started High School, but slowly I began to get lost. I lost my way Momo and my-" she looked down, eyes anguished, "my parents didn't help… I feared my father for the looks he gave me and the way he always seemed to be near me. My mother didn't believe my concerns so when I met you, the person I had always wanted to be, I wanted to hurt you. Hurt you because I was so hurt. I wanted the guys you had because they cared about you so much. I wanted to feel that love, but most of all I just wanted someone to understand me. I just went about it all wrong. Momo, I'm so sorry… I'm sorry I made your life hell, I just wanted someone to talk too, someone who could relate to my problems… I hurt you so much and in the end I guess I got what I deserved."

"I know everything, Sae." Momo said, rummaging through a pile of books on her desktop. Pulling out a thin black leather book she held it up, noting that Sae began to cry, "I read it already."

"Mommy gave you my journal?" Sae replied, voice soft like a whimper. 

The blonde nodded and set the book back down before walking over to Sae and kneeling in front of her, "I didn't understand then why you were doing what you were doing. If I could have stopped your father I would have, but I knew nothing about you and why you acted the way you did. I just figured that you were being the bitch that we all thought you too be. I didn't understand that your attitude was spurred from something no one tried to find out. I understand now, now that its too late. I can't forgive you for what happened. It's unforgivable, but it makes me sad knowing that was the only way you thought I would understand you. I understand you now, Sae. I understand you now." Reaching out she hugged the petite girl, ignoring the fact that she held nothing real in her arms.

The tears that ran down Sae's face dripped to the floor, making no impression that she was there. Sniffling, she smiled relieved, like the world that she held on her shoulders had finally lifted. Her ethereal form wavered, light filtering through all filaments of her hair and every inch of her being. "Thank you, Momo. I didn't care if you forgave me, just as long as you understand. Thank you so much." Before fading completely away into the nothingness that waited for her she smiled, her old Jr. High grin returning, "Since you helped me, I figure I can help you. Unexpected visitors should be met with happiness, not fear or hurt. Remember that."

A pin point of light was all that remained of Sae before it blinked out of existence. Momo felt something pushing her and her eyes opened slowly. Her roommate stood over her, looking down into Momo's eyes concerned. 

"You alright!? I found you on the floor, knocked out. You're not the type to get drunk, did you hit your head? Felicity went and got me when she saw you fall when you were closing the door on her."

Momo struggled to sit up, "It was a dream?" she said, holding a hand to her forehead. Forcing herself to stand she paused when she heard something plop to the rug. Looking down she bent over and picked up two small green bobbypins from the carpet. "Maybe it wasn't."

"Where did you get those! They're so adorable!"

"They must have fallen out of a book a friend gave me before she left." Momo replied, sitting them on her desk where she could see them. A picture of Sae's smiling face next to Momo's hung just above it. 

The next day was just as dark and cloudy as the previous and Momo hoped that finally it would rain and get it over with. Head leaning against the tree she sat under, her caramel hued eyes looked over the school grounds. All at once her brow lifted and a smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. A youth walked in front of her vision, almost fourty feet away. Looking remarkably like someone she once knew she followed him with her gaze until he stopped. 

The youth- man really- turned in her direction, darkness from the clouds coloring him in a greys and blacks. Wind that was prevalent all day suddenly picked up, whipping his hair in front of his face. She watched as he pushed it back, still looking in her direction. He stood tall, and Momo shuddered for it seemed like he was staring straight at her. Slowly the man walked toward her and she stood, picking up her book bag that rested by her side. 

Unnerved, she lifted the bag and slung it over her shoulders, walking away from the man that walked briskly toward her. 

"Um, excuse me." She heard, his voice catching on the wind and bringing his interruption to her. 

She paused, feet slowing to a stop, heart nearly doing the same thing. Hesitantly, Momo turned to face the speaker and color drained from her face. Pulling blonde tresses from her wide eyes she stared into the brown hazel eyes that bore into hers. Lips parting slowly she tried her voice, finding that it didn't work so she fumbled for words. 

A smile lit the mans pale face as he brushed dark locks behind his ears. "Hello, Momo." He greeted, deep tenor voice light with exhilaration, "Long time no see."


	4. i love you like the flowers love the sun

till we meet again

this story is STILL written after book four. I don't think it'll go on much longer than this as I don't think I want to drag out this storyline any longer. I might try my hand at another PG fanfic but I'm not sure. I think this one sapped all my PG energy. ^^

I'm really pleased I got such good reviews, I wasn't expecting any actually. ^^ go visit me at http://www.moontowers.com 

scene: evening, still windy

time: momo is a freshman in college

rating: this story is rated PG-13 for situations that are alluded to that take place in the manga. 

chapter four – I love you like the flowers love the sun

            "Hello," she said, tears springing to her eyes, "Kiley."

He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, "How are you?"

"Cold." She admitted, sneezing.

Kiley laughed, voice warm, "Why don't we go somewhere warm? Is there a library or someth-"

"You wanna come back to my room?"

That caught him off guard. The bitter cold didn't feel so bad any longer for he flushed so brightly that he was rather warm. Seeing the grimace on her face he knew she was going to yell at him. 

"Not like that, you pumpkin!"

"Ahhh…!" he said, tilting his head back and spreading his arms open, "music to my ears. Say it again, my sweet Momo, I haven't been yelled at in a while."

She growled, turned on him, the emotion of their reunion spent, and stalked away. She heard his feet crunching rapidly behind her and she knew he was jogging to catch up. "Stupid wiley Kiley." She mumbled, hands in her pockets. 

Momo shoved the door to her dorm open and skipped past all the drunken fools on the ground, climbing the stairs, ignoring the looks people gave her as Kiley followed behind her. 

She sighed, knowing that they were staring intently at the dark haired god behind her. She nodded, knowing that they did have reason to stare. He was just as beautiful and handsome now as he was in High School. Dark hair, still wild was a little longer, the longest tips brushing his shoulders as his walked. Brown hazel eyes that when they looked in his eyes bore so deeply into her soul that she could feel a part of him there with her. He walked taller than he used to, though, like the weight of something was making him stand straight so he wouldn't fall over. But his shoulders and chest, they filled his shirt and jacket as nicely as they did when he was sixteen. 

And his voice, Momo sighed deeply, blonde hair falling into her face with the motion, was like silk, it wrapped her up in its warmth that seared her to her core. She wanted him to talk forever when they were out in the cold. His words warmed her like fire and she said what she did because her mind was to enthralled with the power behind his voice to think about what was coming out of her own mouth. 

She failed to notice that she passed her floor and opened the door to the roof. Stepping out into the terrace she giggled embarrassed. "Oops."

"Nice room, Momo. Must cost a fortune." He said, passing by her with a large grin and a wink. Slowly he made his way to the edge and leaned against it, arms resting on the cold brick wall. The wind tugged at his hair, pulling it, wanting it to float off with it. Aggravaited, he brushed it back and went back to resting on the wall. 

Her eyes widened and narrowed, the whole set up feeling like deja-vu. Like a flood during a storm, memories surged and she looked upon the scene in a new light. 

In fact, it was a new light. The sun shone from a cloudless sky, hitting the white washed walls of her old school as she stared at the same dark haired youth that was before her now. It was a day, another day, that she tried to forget. They were all so close to graduating, it was only three days away and tension was high. Kiley wasn't talkative much, well he hadn't been since he broke up with one of his newest conquests, and he was just staring down sullenly at the school yard below. 

"What would you do if I jumped?" he had asked her, voice hoarse.

The question made her recoil, and her eyes widened, "Kiley, back away from the wall."

"No, really. I'm not going to jump, but," he slowly turned then and looked at her, eyes dark with unshed hurt. "what would you do, Momo?"

"Well," she said slowly, trying to think up something fast, deathly afraid that he would do it despite what he said, "What does it matter? You're not going to do it anyway, you silly pumpkin."

He chuckled, walking over to her slowly, staring down at her, "Your hands are shaking."

"Because you asked me a stupid question and it bothered me. How am I supposed to know you're not messed up either? I'd rather not lose a friend by suicide." She told him fiercely. 

"Momo, my sweet, I didn't know you cared."

She punched him lightly, turning a dull red, "Of course I care, stupid."

"Enough to go out with me?" he asked. She laughed and he cut her off, arching a brow and a hand on his hip, "I'm serious."

"I bet. But I wouldn't." she told him, her stubborn streak evident. 

Kiley frowned, looking hurt, "Well, if you ever find yourself single, you can always ask me. I'll love you until I die, Momo. I love you like the flowers love the sun." and pulled a single carnation from his school jacket, handing it too her shyly.

Momo came out of her stupor, her glazed expression vanishing when she heard thunder crash in the distance. Her memory over she stared at Kiley, her eyebrows forming the frown that her cherry lips wouldn't. "I would cry, Kiley." She said, heart thumping in her chest. "I would cry my heart and soul out."

He froze, his heart stopping in his chest, knuckles turning dead white as they involuntarily gripped the ledge. Eyes widening slowly he faltered before turning to face her, his complexion paler than before. Brushing a hand absently through his dark locks he put his other hand in his pocket, mouth and brain trying to figure out how to reply. 

Finally he found the words, "What?"

"You asked me what I would do if you jumped when we up on the roof a few years ago. I would cry." More thunder crashed, closer now and lightening joined it, lighting up the roof and casting glares across both bodies. The wind stayed the same, bitter chill as it had been, but droplets of rain joined in not wanting to be left out of the fun. Momo hugged her arms across her chest, ignoring the rain that fell into her shoulders and hair. 

"Would you?" he asked. 

"Yes." She repeated, voice forlorn, unsure of why he sounded doubtful. 

Rain fell quicker and thought it wasn't as cold as the wind, it still chilled them as it ran on their faces. Mist forming around their bodies, Momo followed Kiley as he sought shelter under an overhang. He paused as soon as he was out from the rain and turned his gaze to her, eyes still looking like he had lost something very important to him. "Why didn't you ever call me? You never talked to me after High School. I didn't even know you were coming to the US until I called you about Sae. I know its because I had done something to-"

"No, Kiley!" she exclaimed, cutting him off, distress flushing her face. She hadn't thought about what other people would have thought when she took it upon herself not to talk to anyone and become a hermit in her own home. It hurt her to know that for nearly a year he thought that he had done something to make her hate him. "I didn't want to talk to anyone… after I got a phone call from Toji… I- I just… I couldn't bring myself to talk to anyone anymore. I'm so sorry…"

He glared then, "So because of Toji, yet again, you cut yourself off from the people that actually care about you? Good idea, Momo, fantastic."

"Excuse me, Mister." She retorted, anger flaring up, "I couldn't deal with it anymore."

"Why didn't you talk to me about it then."

Momo bit her lip, unsure of how to say it, "I didn't want to bother you with my problems any more."

His gaze softened, "Momo…" Kiley broke off, rubbing a hand down the side of his face, "Have you wondered yet why I'm all the way in the States?"

She blinked, anger vanishing quickly out of surprise, "Well, no… why are you out here?"

"Because I hadn't heard from you in a year… I didn't know if you were all right and your mother told me where you were so I came out here as soon as I could. I've missed you so much."

Rain water plinked on the ground, sounding like a thousand small drums as they stood in silence. Momo was the first to break it, "I'm sorry I left without saying anything. I didn't know that not being… near you would hurt so much, but I didn't think you'd want me if I came back." Tears misted her vision and she willed them to stay back for as long as she could. As it was her voice had cracked, and she looked down at the ground. Trying to ignore his gaze and focus on the cold biting wind that brushed by her. Her face was warm, perhaps from the flush, but she took comfort in the fact that Kiley couldn't see it for it was too dark. 

More lightening crashed and it threw its light in all directions, for a moment throwing its eerie glow on the pair. Kiley sighed deeply, shuffling forward, toward Momo who cringed, unsure of his reaction. He stared at her, hazel eyes soft, and absorbed her every inch. From her long blonde hair that cascaded down her slender shoulders her slim waist to her eyes that were glassy from the tears she held back set in her normally beautifully tanned skin so vibrant with color. Droplets clung to her suede jacket and hair like the morning dew, they slipped down her arms as she shifted her long limbs so that she gripped each bicep in her slender hands. Chewing on her cherry red lip between her teeth was something he hadn't seen her do since her last year in Junior High, when he first spotted her across the library room, nose stuck in her algebra book, pencil tapping the wood table swiftly. 

It was instant love on his end, and he had loved her through High School. He loved her still, but it wasn't something that he could openly admit, not with her normal, punch to the face, reaction. After a time, he stopped announcing his love for her and kept it hidden, doing little things that wouldn't bother her, to express his feelings for her. The carnation, red tipped with yellow for love and friendship respectively, was his last act. The last thing he would do to try and win her love. That plan failed miserably and all hope was dashed. His beautiful pixie would never be his. 

"Would you really cry if I jumped? Would my death mean more than just one more person abandoning you?"

That stung her and she fidgeted, a few tears clinging to her eyelashes before descending down her paling face. For a reason she didn't know, it took her a moment to answer. Toji had left her, Sae had died, her father left before her graduation never to be heard of again and she didn't know what to make of Kiley. At first she thought the humming in her ears was from her frustration, but she soon realized that it was from the pain she felt deep in her heart that soon reached her soul. 

A noisy sob broke the last barrier and she curled her arms over her head, crying like there was no tomorrow. "You… stupid… pumpkin!" she choked out, stomping her foot, "I hate you! Of course… of course I would cry… Kiley!"

He reached for her then, knowing that she would fall and rather than have her collapse on the floor she collapsed in his strong arms. Feeling them once again hold her up, being her support. She leaned her head into his chest and sobbed, "I-I would… I would die too… if you left me. Please… don't… I-I… Kiley, you…" her words were just random, incoherent mumblings by this point and Kiley rested his lips against her hair, trying to calm her. 

"I wanted to be sure, please, don't cry, Momo. My sweet, my pixie. My peach." Still holding her up with one arm he reached into the folds of his coat and pulled out a red rose, "I'll love you until I die, Momo." and placed it in her slightly open hand.

She backed out of his arms, her tears stopping while her heart thudded in her ears and chest. Wild beating feeling like a bird held in too small a cage. He moved one large hand over his other and wrestled with something on his finger. 

No, two somethings. Small and silver he pulled a thin band from his ring finger, reaching out with his opposite hand to take her hand that wasn't holding the rose. She stared at the ring he held to the rind around his thin finger, "Kiley, why is there string attached to that ring?"

Taking her warm hand in his he slid the band down her finger to where it settled comfortably and he smiled down at her, eyes for once looking brilliant. _Like whatever he lost has come back to him._ She thought lazily, staring at the ring on her finger and the string that connected both rings to each other. 

"This is my promise to you, Adachi Momo. My promise that I will ask you if you would take me as your pumpkin husband one day when we're both ready for that. This string is so that I never have to you loose you again." Taking her hand, he threaded his fingers through hers and grinned, face red with his blush. 

Tears ran anew down her equally red cheeks and she didn't protest like she had all those years ago when he kissed her. Lips connecting with a spark that ran like wild fire through their bodies they kissed like they were long lost lovers coming back together after being apart for years. 

She held his hand close to her heart, and they pushed their bodies closer, feeling each others heart as it beat on their hands. Slowly, he pulled away and rested his forehead on hers, brown eyes glowing with joy, "I love you, Adachi Momo. I love you like the flowers love the sun. Now and forever, until I die."

"I love you, Okayasu Kiley, like the sun loves the flowers. Now and forever, until I die."

The end.


End file.
